


Prince's Worry

by aquatarius



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Feather Series, Gift Fic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not thrilled with this tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 20:38:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8860171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquatarius/pseuds/aquatarius
Summary: Dirk's been hurt, and Eridan waits by his side for him to wake up.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Luneth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luneth/gifts).
  * Inspired by [A Cherub's Feather](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7031887) by [Luneth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luneth/pseuds/Luneth). 



> I'm not entirely happy with this tbh :V I tried some new stuff and I'm not sure if I pulled it off. BUT. Here it is! 
> 
> Merry Christmas, Luneth, and I really hope you get some enjoyment out of this. you're one of the reasons I'm writing fanfiction, you're such a huge inspiration, and I hope you have a lovely holiday season! ^v^

  Dirk is an idiot. Well, he’s scary smart with some things, but he’s also a bit of an idiot. A self-sacrificing, mother hen of an idiot. Staring at him laid out on the bed wrapped up in too many bandages, it hits Eridan a little too close to home.

  Roxy is seated right next to Eridan, her arms wrapped around him and trying her hardest to give him comfort. He appreciates it. Even if he can’t get the words past the lump in his throat, he _does_ appreciate Roxy and her comfort. He’ll tell her later. Later, when his chest doesn’t feel so tight and his heart doesn’t feel like it’s going to implode.

  The worst part is not being able to feel the sliver of Dirk in him. He knows why Dirk took it out, ( _The smell of sulfur, of burning, a sharp searing pain and then nothing, the realization that the only fighting going on was from Dirk’s side, and then fear._ ) but it scared Eridan so bad to feel it ripped from him. It probably scared him more than actually feeling the pain of Dirk getting massive amounts of pure energy slammed into his body. Fuck everyone who decided it was a great idea to make new weapons and an even better idea to test them out on people.

  Sitting here by Dirk’s bed is making him sick to his stomach. The life players have done what they can (While Roxy held Eridan back from tearing apart the people who ‘accidently’ shot his boyfriend.) and now they just need to wait for Dirk to wake up on his own. Eridan isn’t the best at waiting.

  Jane brings them tea, silent and somber, and strokes Eridan’s arm before making a tactful retreat. Eridan tries to drink the tea. It sticks in his throat and forces a sudden sob out of his chest. Roxy pats his back, and rubs small circles between his shoulder blades.

  “There, there, Eridan. He’ll be all right.” She whispers. She doesn’t sound certain, though, and Eridan’s stomach twists more. He thinks he might throw up.

  Over an hour stretches by. Eridan doesn’t throw up. Then Dirk jerks and inhales sharply. Eridan’s heart leaps into his throat and he leans forward with this pathetic, happy whimper.

  “Dirk?” He asks. He’s surprised he can get the words out, surprised he can sound intelligible.

  Dirk twists his head around and stares at Eridan. His orange eyes are so, so intense without his glasses. Eridan jerks forward, unsure if he’s going to headbutt Dirk or kiss him, but Roxy curls her fingers into his shoulders and heaves him back.

  “Whoaaaa, there, Eri, hang on ‘n’ let a guy breathe, k?” Roxy says. The relief in her voice is as thick as it is in Eridan’s heart, and her hands tremble a little as she hangs onto Eridan. “How’re you feelin’, Dirk?”

  Dirk wheezes. He coughs. He closes his eyes.

  “Like a piece of shit.” Dirk groans. Roxy laughs, but it sounds forced. Eridan’s gut slowly starts to unravel itself anyway. Dirk’s alive. He’s alive and he’s going to stay that way. “What _happened_?”

  “You mean besides scaring us half to death?” Eridan asks. He wants Roxy’s hands off of him, he wants to bury his face in Dirk’s chest and breathe in his scent for a week.

  “Took a gunfull of energy to the chest, dude.” Roxy says. She mimics Dirk’s way of saying dude, the little inflection he gives it, and Dirk cracks the smallest smile, then winces in pain.

  “Ow.” Dirk says.

  Eridan twists out of Roxy’s grasp, and she lets him go. He buries his face in Dirk’s chest at once, and Dirk grunts in pain.

“ _Ow, ow, ow_.” Dirk says.

  Eridan lets go and jerks back. Guilt fills him, and he gives Dirk an apologetic look.

  “Sorry, I’m sorry. Are you all right?” He asks.

  “Fine, dude. I feel like I was hit by a truck, and then run over by a herd of ponies is all. Thanks for asking.” Dirk says.

 Dirk holds out his hand. Eridan stares at it for a moment, then grabs it up and squeezes it. Dirk’s hand is warm and rough, with lots of scars from mishaps with his machines and his swords. Eridan’s thumb traces the scars and he exhales slowly.

  “I thought I’d lost you.” Eridan says. Dirk is quiet for a moment, then he squeezes Eridan’s hand and flashes him a weak, dim copy of his real smile.

 “And miss out on date night?” Dirk asks. His voice is weak and watery and Eridan’s heart pinches in the most unpleasant manner. Dirk coughs suddenly, and alarm fills Eridan up faster than his father drains a glass of whiskey. Along with the alarm washes up the memory of seeing Dirk splayed out on the ground, and the feelings as well.

  “What were you thinking?” Eridan asks. Dirk looks at him, and raises an eyebrow. “What were you _thinking_! You almost got yourself killed! Do you have any idea how worried I was when you pulled out your soul?” The words spill out of his mouth. He can’t stop them, can’t stop their fury and worry, the anger at the world that let Dirk get hurt like this. Dirk opens his mouth, but Eridan bowls right over him. “You almost died, Dirk. Jane and Kanaya and Feferi together barely pieced you back together. You, you, you-”

  “Are you about done, Eridan?” Dirk asks. Eridan glowers at him. Dirk reaches over and cups Eridan’s cheek. His palm is so…warm. Eridan leans into it, and kisses his wrist. He wishes he could kiss every inch of Dirk.

  Dirk’s hand travels back, and his fingers curl around the back of Eridan’s neck. Before Eridan can ask what he’s doing, Dirk pushes himself up and Eridan forward, and presses his forehead against Eridan’s.

  “Thanks, bro.” Dirk says. He whispers it, like it’s a secret between just the two of them.

  Eridan does kiss him. He tips his chin forward and presses their lips together in a kiss that’s wonderfully sloppy and unplanned. Dirk tips back, and Eridan follows, setting a hand on either side of him. Dirk tastes sort of like vomit and blood, but under it was _Dirk_ , that boy that Eridan loves so much it feels like his heart will break into a million pieces if Dirk dies.

  The two holds the kiss until Roxy clears her throat. Eridan jerks back and Dirk gasps in a breath.

  “Don’t kill him, Eri.” Roxy teases, moving over to sit on the bed. “Seriously, Dirky, are all your pieces all right in there?

  “I feel like shit, Roxy, but yeah, the captain is still at his post.” Dirk replies. Roxy sniggers weakly. “I’ll live.”

  Eridan squirms up on the bed, and flops down on Dirk’s other side. He presses his face into Dirk’s shoulder, and inhales deeply. Dirk’s scent, along with some stray aspect scent (Life smells like grass and anti-bacterial soap.) Roxy and Dirk speak, but the words are lost on Eridan.

 Dirk slides his arm around Eridan, and presses his cheek against Eridan’s hair. It’s so…personal and sweet, and it reminds Eridan of how Roxy had first started talking to him at school.

  “Oh, hey, don’t move.” Roxy says.

  Eridan lifts his head just in time to see Roxy whip out her phone and take a picture.

  “Hey!” Eridan squawks. Roxy snorts out a laugh and Dirk swipes at the phone.

  Roxy is unperturbed and leans back to snap some more pictures.

  “You are a menace, Lalonde.” Dirk growls. He coughs after he growls, doubling up as he coughs into his hand. Eridan whines and strokes Dirk’s side. The fact that he can’t _do_ anything is what’s really getting under his skin. The enemies are already caught and Dirk is healed as much as he can be, and there’s nothing Eridan can _do_ to make Dirk stop hurting.

  Stowing the phone, Rox leans forward to pat Dirk’s arm.

  “Shhh, no growling unless you wanna puke your guts out.” Roxy chirps. Dirk swats at her. “Imma leave you two alone. Don’t get into _too_ much trouble, aye?” Roxy winks, and stands. Eridan and Dirk both groan, and Eridan buries his chest into Dirk’s chest. She leaves, no doubt to go show off those pictures of every form of social media she can get her grubby hands on.

  It makes Eridan feel guilty to realize he honestly needs more comfort then Eridan. Dirk strokes his hand through Eridan’s hair, and closes his eyes. He’s asleep in moments, his hand resting on Eridan’s head and his breathing evening out.

 

* * *

 

  Eridan wakes up with a jolt. He doesn’t remember falling asleep, and he doesn’t remember Dirk leaving. He lifts his head up and looks around. Dirk is standing in the middle of the room, staring at nothing. He’s shirtless, and the facing sunlight glints off his skin in a way that’s…Delicious. Aesthetical. The Prince shivers and slides off the bed. He pads over to Dirk and touches his wrist.

  “Dirk?” He asks. Dirk blinks and looks over at him.  “You all right?”

  “…I’m all right.” Dirk says. His voice is carefully controlled.

  “Ya got some sort of heart aspect shit goin-”

  Dirk spins and grabs onto Eridan. He jerks him forward and wraps his arms around him in a tight hug. Eridan just stands there for almost a solid minute before jumping and sliding his arms around Dirk. Dirk’s heartbeat is fast and frantic, and Eridan would do anything in the world to still it.

  “…I’m sorry for scaring you.” Dirk mutters into Eridan’s hair. “I just wanted to keep you safe.”

  Eridan presses his face into Dirk’s shoulder. He doesn’t have the words to say what he needs, that it’s all right and he understand, and that it was just Dirk being Dirk, and he forgives him.

  After a few moments he chokes out the words, a tiny little, ‘I forgive you.’ Dirk squeezes on tighter. Roxy knocks on the door, and then flings it open. Eridan twists his head and stares at her. She slowly raises her phone and snaps a single picture, then slams the door shut as Dirk lets go of Eridan and leaps for her.

  “One minute.” Dirk says. He opens the door, and hurries after Roxy, coughing a few times. Eridan trails after him, slower, and smiling weakly.

  Dirk’s all right. Eridan loves him so damn much, and there’s nothing like the relief of knowing that he’s going to be all right. But they really need to talk to Rox about not giving Nepeta all sorts of shipping fodder.

**Author's Note:**

> There we are! Not real happy with how it turned out but I had to stop fiddling with it and just get it up. First fic of the holidays, yay! Expect some more from me soon, guys, and please do check out the original series by Luneth bc. THAT IS A REALLY AMAZING SERIES.


End file.
